One of them shows the Speyer Cathedral in Speyer in Rhineland-Palatinate. The Speyer Cathedral was founded in 1030 by Conrad II and was remodelled at the end of the 11th century. The crypt is the burial place of eight emperors and three empresses. Since the destruction of the Cluny Abbey during the French Revolution is the Speyer Cathedral the largest Romanesque church of the World. Since 1925 it is a basilica minor and since 1981 is the Speyer Cathedral on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The card was sent from the Postcrossing Meet-up in Speyer.
Stamp:
Glücksburg Castle (from set of two) (issued 02-01-2013)

One of them shows the Messel Pit Fossil Site in Hesse. The Messel Site is the World's richest site for understanding the living environment of the Eocene, between 57 million and 36 million years ago. It provides unique information about the early stages of the evolution of mammals. There were found some well-preserved mammal fossils, some even with their contents of stomachs. Since 1995 is the Messel Pit Fossil Site on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

One of them shows Darmstadt. Darmstadt is the fourth largest city of the German State of Hesse and was until 1945 its capital. Darmstadt is also an important centre of scientific institutions, universities and high technology companies. Darmstadt is home to the European Space Operations Centre and to the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research. The small picture on the left shows the Ernst-Ludwig-House at the Darmstadt Artists' Colony.

Monday, 29 December 2014

The card shows the Maulbronn Monastery Complex. The Maulbronn Monastery was founded in 1147 by Cistercians. The main building were built between the 12th and 16th century. The Monastery's church was built in Transitional Gothic style and had an influence on the spread of Gothic architecture in northern and central Europe. Today is the Maulbronn Monastery Complex considered the most complete and best-preserved medieval monastic complex north of the Alps. Some parts of Hermann Hesse's novel Beneath the Wheel are set in the Maulbronn Monastery. Since 1993 is the Maulbronn Monastery Complex on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The card was sent from Postcrossing Meet-up at the Maulbronn Monastery.
With a matching stamp:
Glücksburg Castle (from set of two) (issued 02-01-2013)
Maulbronn Monastery (issued 22-01-1998)

Friday, 26 December 2014

Among the Luxembourgian stamps I got as Christmas present is one about the World War I Centenary.

Already on 1st August 1914 the troops of the German Empire used without authorisation Troisvierges station to come to France. One day later the German Empire launched a full invasion of Luxembourg. Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde ordered the army not to resist. In the evening she and Prime Minister Paul Eyschen met the German commander Richard Karl von Tessmar in Luxembourg City and after a small protest they accepted German military rule. During the occupation Luxembourg was allowed to retain its own government and political system. The occupation ended on 11th November 1918.

Among the Maltese stamps I got as Christmas present is one set about the World War I Centenary.

During World War I Malta was not directly involved in the fighting, but nursed many casualties. The first group of casualties arrived in 1915 after the landing in Gallipoli. Before the war there were only four military hospitals in Malta, but during the war there were 27. During the war Malta nursed over 100000 men. This earned Malta the title Nurse of the Mediterranean.

The first two stamps of the set show military hospitals.

The third stamp shows the HMHS Rewa.The HMHS was first a cargo and passenger vessel and after the outbreak of World War I the Royal Navy used her as hospital ship. In 1918 she was returning from Malta to Great Britain. While this journey she was hit in the Bristol Channel on 4th January 1918 by the torpedo of a German submarine. The ship took two hours to sink, so there was enough time to rescue all wounded men and the ship's crew. Only four engine men died in the initial explosion. The German High Command denied the sinking of the ship and blamed it on a British mine. Nevertheless the German Naval Command had declared total war and ordered submarine captains to sink all Allied ships. This sinking of hospital ships violated Hague Convention X. Wilhelm Werner, the captain of the German submarine, feared the consequences after the war and escaped to Brazil.

Among the stamps from Guernsey I got as Christmas present is one set about the World War I Centenary.

The stamps from Guernsey show six remarkable islanders stepping forward eagerly and doing their bit.

Private Yves Cataroche was among the first volunteers. He survived the Battle at the Somme, hospitalised at the Battle of Ypres and after his recovery he went back to front with the RGLI. At the front he was again badly wounded and in 1918 he was honourably discharged.

Major George Le Page was also one of the first volunteers. He led the Guernsey Contingent of the 6th Royal Irish Regiment. His soldiers described him as "like a father". In January 1916 he was killed as one of the first islanders.

Dorthy Nichols joined a munitions factory in Derbyshire. For her courage and devotion during two explosions at the plant she was awarded the Medal of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Lt Frank de Mouilpied Lainé went to war with his brother Thomas. They fought with the RGLI in fierce battles. Thomas was left behind in France without known grave and Frank died in 1922 in the course of his injuries. He later got the Military Cross for exemplary gallantry.

Ada Le Poidevin was a salvationist. She worked as a sister in a respite hut set up by the Salvation Army.

Private Latimer Le Poidevin joined the RGLI in January 1917 and remained there until its demobilisation in 1919. After his return he wrote a remarkably accurate notebook with his experiences and later never spoke of them again.

Wednesday, 24 December 2014

Just this evening I looked through the online ordered stamps I got as present and found among the Luxembourgian ones a nice gift of the Post Luxembourg. It is a card with this year's Christmas stamp on it. The stamp is from a set of two and was issued on 02-12-2014. The stamps in the set are printed on flocked paper. The card is cancelled with the First Day Special Postmark.

The other stamps I got I will show as soon as possible on my stamp blog and some here too.

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

One of them shows a map of the Ruhr district and celebrates its title as European Capital of Culture for 2010. The Ruhr district is the largest urban agglomeration of Germany and the fifth largest of Europe.

Stamp:
125 years Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (issued 09-02-2012)
with a special postmark from the Christmas Market in Essen showing Father Christmas

Sunday, 21 December 2014

It shows the Benrath Palace in Düsseldorf. The Benrath Palace was built from 1755 to 1773 by Nicolas de Pigage at the behest of Elector Palatine Charl Theodor. It was built in a combination of Baroque, Rococo and Classicism. Since 2002 houses the east wing the Museum for European Garden Art, while the west wing houses the Museum of Natural History.

Stamp:
Town Hall of Alsfeld (from set of two) (issued 07-04-2011)
with a special postmark of the Christmas Market at the Benrath Palace

One of the cards is a Christmas card postmarked at the Christmas post office in Himmelpfort. The history of the Christmas post office in Himmelpfort started in 1984 when two children sent letters to Santa Claus in Himmelpfort and as the post clerk did not know what to do with them she answered them herself. Since 1995 the Deutsche Post supports the Christmas post office in Himmelpfort. In 2013 294000 letters arrived in Himmelpfort. 17500 letters arrived from 78 countries in the World, the rest from Germany. The most foreign letters came from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Poland and Japan and for the first time arrived letters from Macao, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. The letters are answered in 17 languages.

Stamp:
Snowman (issued 03-11-2014)
with the special postmark of Himmelpfort's Christmas post office

One of the cards is a Christmas card postmarked at the Christmas post office in St. Nikolaus. Although Christmas letters from St. Nikolaus are sent since 1966, the Christmas post office only exists since 2005. It is supported by the Deutsche Post.

Stamp:
Snowman (issued 03-11-2014)
with the special postmark of the Christmas post office in St. Nikolaus

One of the cards is a Christmas card postmarked at the Christmas post office in Himmelstadt. The Christmas post office in Himmelstadt opened in 1986. In 2011 arrived 81000 letters from children all over the World in Himmelstadt. The 36 volunteers answered the letters in 12 different languages.

Stamp:
Snowman (issued 03-11-2014)
with the special postmark of Himmelstadt's Christmas post office

One of the cards shows the Christmas Market in Frankfurt. The Christmas Market in Frankfurt is one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany and is visited by over 3million visitors annually. The Christmas Market in Frankfurt influenced cities in Great Britain to hold their own Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt. The biggest is in Frankfurt's twin city Birmingham.

I got this card a few weeks ago in an envelope.

Stamp:
Snowman (issued 03-11-2014)
with a special postmark of the Christmas Market in Frankfurt

One of the cards shows the Christmas Market in Frankfurt. The Christmas Market in Frankfurt was first mentioned in 1393 and was then used by the civics to buy supplies of food for the winter. First only civics of Frankfurt were able to sell their goods on the Christmas Market and no people from other cities. In the 19th century the Christmas Market already looked like today.

I got this card a few weeks ago in an envelope.

Stamp:
Star of Bethlehem (issued 03-11-2014)
with a special postmark of the Christmas Market in Frankfurt

One of them shows the Christmas Market in Erfurt with the Erfurt Cathedral and the St. Severus Church in the background. The Christmas Market in Erfurt is one of the biggest Christmas markets in Germany and is visited by nearly 2million visitors annually. In the centre of the Christmas Market is a 25m high Christmas tree.

I got this card a few weeks ago in an envelope.

Stamp:
Snowman (issued 03-11-2014)
with a special postmark of the Christmas Market in Erfurt